The Chronicles of Narnia: A supposal depiction of Christ

Abstract

Because of the growing link between literature and the Bible, there is a need to study the similarities between the two works through the elements of fiction. One such similarity is found in Christ-like characters throughout literature. This study compared, analyzed, discussed and interpreted the supposal depiction of Jesus Christ through the character of Asian in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. The study sought to answer the following problems: 1. How does C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia portray Christ through Asian in terms of: a. Characterization; b. similarities of incidents; c. symbols; and d. theme? 2.What Christian motifs in the novel support Asian as a Christ-like character? The researcher employed the formalistic, moral-philosophical and psychological-archetypal approaches to probe the first problem. Thematic analysis and the exponential approach were utilized to Present answers in response to the second problem. The following are the major findings of the study: 1. By possessing similarities with Jesus Christ: Asian was depicted as a supposal through: a. characterization, where the similarities of both characters can be seen in terms of: kingship, deity, being a part of a triune Godhead, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, glory, humanity, saving power, existence, enormity, "untamed nature" and compassion. b. similarities of incidents in the plot namely passion, death and resurrection. c. symbolisms, where Asian depicted titles of Jesus Christ such as the light, the lamb and the door. d. the main theme which both characters carry out in their respective stories: "The Savior is victorious." and its sub-themes: "The Savior triumphs over death, doubt and evil." 2. Christian motifs which support Asian as a Christ- like character include: a. Temptation b. Human frailties c. Salvation In light of the findings of the study, the following are the conclusions: 1. C.S. Lewis created Aslan as a supposal of Jesus Christ to point the reader to his Lord and Savior. 2. The Christian motifs identified in The Chronicles of Narnia reveal that the author used story telling and narration to illustrate certain facets of Christianity. In relation with the findings and conclusions of this research, the following are recommended: 1. An analysis on how Christ is depicted by several Christ-like characters in literature. 2. a. A research of biblical allusions and other Christian motifs in The Chronicles of Narnia and other fictional works of C.S. Lewis such as the Space Trilogy and the Screwtape Letters. b./k study of the influence of the Bible in selected fantasy works. 3. A comparative analysis of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia in terms of themes and symbols. 4. A study of the writing style of C.S. Lewis. 5. An analysis of the traits of Narnian creatures in The Chronicles of Narnia depicting particular representations of human qualities.